


Pencil Me In

by allyndra



Category: High School Musical
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-13
Updated: 2009-12-13
Packaged: 2017-10-04 10:04:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allyndra/pseuds/allyndra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to find time together once school is back in session. (prompted by lykoi)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pencil Me In

The nice thing about having lunch at Lava Springs, Ryan thought, was that Chad was always there. Since, you know, it was his _job_. He stared across the cafeteria at the table where Chad was sitting with a bunch of his friends from some sports team or another. (Ryan had never paid attention to which jocks went with which sport.) Chad looked up, and there was a spark of greeting in his eyes when he spotted Ryan. He lifted a hand to wave Ryan over, but a lanky boy in a ubiquitous red shirt dropped into the only empty seat at the table before Ryan could take a step.

"What are you doing just standing here?" Sharpay demanded. "This isn't the place to practice your living statue act." She poked him in the back with her tray. "Walk to the table, Ryan. Come on, I know you can do it."

Ryan rolled his eyes at Chad and let his sister prod him toward their usual table. The other nice thing about lunch at Lava Springs was, Sharpay was usually too busy with her other friends to spend much time criticizing Ryan.

*

"Hey!" Chad appeared at Ryan's side outside of study hall and almost gave him a heart attack. It was possible Coach Bolton was training the boys in ninja tactics along with dribbling and passing.

"Hi," Ryan said. His heart was still pounding hard, but that wasn't from the near-heart attack. It was just what it did when Chad was around.

"Hey, I've got to run. I just wanted to say hi. 'Cause I haven't really seen you today," Chad said. He was tossing his basketball back and forth between his hands, but his eyes were intent on Ryan's face. Ryan smiled.

"I know. It's so weird after-" He was going to say, 'after having you around all summer, being able to call you to my room or the pool or the golf course.' He was going to say, 'We need to find a way to meet up for more than just a glance across the room or a second in the hallway.' He was going to say, 'I miss you, even though you're right here.'

He didn't say any of those things, because the warning bell rang shrilly, and Chad gave him a rueful look. "I gotta go," he said. He shifted the basketball to his left hand so he could brush the right along Ryan's arm. "I'll see you later." And then he was gone and Ryan was standing alone, staring after him.

"Later," he echoed.

*

After school, Ryan got three and a half steps toward the bench where Chad was waiting for him, backpack over his shoulder and an expectant look on his face, before Ms. Darbus stopped him.

"Ryan," she proclaimed. He didn't know how she managed to always sound like she was performing a soliloquy. "I expect that you're on your way to the first Drama Club meeting of your senior year. You know," she said, placing a patronizing hand on his shoulder, "you and your sister have been a shining light in our little theatre. I see so much of myself in the two of you, in your talent and dedication."

Ryan cast a helpless look back over his shoulder at Chad, who was watching him leave with drooping shoulders.

"I have a few ideas about the fall performance," Ms. Darbus continued. "And I know that both Sharpay and yourself are eager to make your senior year the highlight of your careers so far. Tell me, Ryan, what are your opinions on French farce?"

When Ryan looked back again, Chad was still sitting there. He waved his hand and gave Ryan a dispirited wave as Ms. Darbus led him toward the auditorium.

*

"Hi."

"Ryan, hi!" The excitement in Chad's voice was a balm. Ryan flopped back on his bed, phone pressed tight to his ear.

"So, how much do our schedules suck?" Ryan asked, settling against his pillow.

"A lot," Chad said. "A lot, a lot."

Ryan laughed. "Wow, those SAT vocab lessons are really coming in handy."

"Shut up. I'll have you know that my vocabulary is wide and varied. Fulsome, even." Chad sounded so indignant that Ryan laughed again.

"Yeah, yeah. Apply your fulsome vocabulary to telling me about your day and how much you missed me during it."

Ryan was only teasing, but his breath caught when Chad lowered his voice and said, "I can do that." Ryan smiled brilliantly up at the ceiling. "First of all," Chad said, "those jeans you had on today were criminal."

The nice thing about Ryan's room, Ryan thought, was that no one was around to see the way his eyes went dreamy when he talked to Chad on the phone. He planned to be doing a lot more of that, this semester.


End file.
